Canada Waives Entrance Fee To National Parks For 2017

Canada is famous for its diverse, often rugged beauty, and next year you’ll be able to enjoy that beauty for free. Our northern neighbor will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2017 with free admission to its nearly 100 national parks and historic sites.

Daily admission to a Canadian national park runs about $20 for a family. An annual unlimited-admission pass costs $134.50. You can buy a pass now and get 24-months access, or pick up a free pass anytime in 2017 that will last for a full 12 months. The pass covers only admission – you still have to pay parking, camping fees, et cetera.

This celebratory offer was proposed by Canada’s new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, who also urged the parks to permanently eliminate admission fees for kids and give all new Canadian citizens one year of free park admission.

While this deal alone probably isn’t enough to send you off to the Great White North, I hope you’ll consider a trip to Canada, especially if you’ve never been. My research for my book, You Can Retire Sooner That You Think, found that the happiest retirees love frequent vacations and new experiences. Canada offers so much. It’s coastlines and mountains are breathtaking, and cities like Toronto and Vancouver are amazingly cosmopolitan. Montreal and Quebec can make you feel like you’re in Europe – at a fraction of the cost and stress.